One of the special treats at Fan Fest 2010 held at the London Film Museum was the opportunity to listen to film Legend Ray Harryhausen reflect upon his career and making films in his pioneering way.

Just prior to his talk the London Film Museum made the surprise announcement that to coincide with Harryhausen’s 90th Birthday the London Film Museum will be hosting a Ray Harryhausen exhibition.

The official announcement from the London Film Museum website:

"The London Film Museum are pleased to announce that on June 29th 2010 the London Film Museum will open its exhibition.

Entitled "Ray Harryhausen - Myths and Legends" - the exhibition will be focusing on the work of Ray Harryhausen and showcase the techniques he used to bring his Dynamation creatures to life.

The launch date is an extra special one as this is also Ray’s 90th Birthday.

Ray is the father of modern day special effects. Without his imagination and wonderful fantasy films made in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s there would probably be no George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Nick Park or Peter Jackson. It was Ray who inspired these fantasy filmmakers and it is to him that each one credits Ray as their inspiration.

Ray began his art after seeing King Kong (1933) and following his first feature film Mighty Joe Young in 1949 went on to develop a technique known as Dynamation, which is a process that allows animated models to be integrated with live action. Other films followed, amongst which were The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1952), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), One Million Years BC (1966), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Clash of the Titans (1981).

These classic films 'starred' such creations at Cyclops, dragons, living skeleton warriors, a Medusa, a giant crab, scorpions and bees and of course dinosaurs.

The exhibition is being put together by the London Film Museum Advisory Panel including Leslie Hardcastle (founder of MOMI) and Jonathan Sands (Chief Executive of the museum), and with kind permission from The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.

The exhibition will be housed in the rooms opposite the Charlie Chaplin – The Great Londoner Exhibition.Ray Harryhausen exhibition coming to the London Film MuseumWhere:The London Film Museum
County Hall, Riverside Building, Southbank, London SE1 7PB,